How to Figure Lumber for a Deck

Buy the correct amount of lumber for your deck in one trip.

If you are building your own deck, one of the first tasks that you need to undertake is purchasing your lumber. While it is always possible to buy more lumber, it is easier and more efficient to purchase as much as you need at once. This also allows you to purchase lumber in bulk, which may result in discounts to the total cost of building your deck.

Things You'll Need

• Detailed deck plans

Instructions

1. Divide your deck into segments while looking at the detailed deck plans for guidance.

2. Write each segment down on a piece of paper. Segments include framing, deck flooring, and railings at the very least.

3. Count up the boards necessary for each segment, dividing the boards up by dimensions. For example, count up the number of 2-by-4s, 4-by-4s, and 2-by-6s.

4. Record the number of each type of board necessary on the paper under the appropriate segment.

5. Add the number of boards of each type required, creating a master list of lumber necessary.

6. Add 10 percent more wood to your framing requirements and 15 percent more wood to your decking requirements. This ensures you will have enough wood.

Tips & Warnings

• It is better to purchase more wood than you need, so make sure the lumber company has a good return policy.

• If you have less detailed plans, you will need to take the measurements yourself. In that case, split your planned deck into segments, and then draw yourself a schematic, penciling in the dimensions. Then proceed as stated in the steps. Be sure to double-check all your measurements.

References

• Home Depot: Estimating Materials
• Ideas for Deck Designs: Estimate Deck Materials